


username: papercotton

by okamiwind



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Vloggers, M/M, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:21:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28410822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/okamiwind/pseuds/okamiwind
Summary: junmyeon is working towards his 500 thousand subscriber milestone, and on the way, he meets the most sought-after barista on the platform. trouble is, junmyeon fell in love with him the first time he saw his face.
Relationships: Kim Junmyeon | Suho/Oh Sehun
Comments: 51
Kudos: 145





	username: papercotton

On average, he would say that a normal video he makes takes about four hours from start to finish. Of course, most of that time is spent in either pre- or post-production, using his Gudetama planner with the little flags to plan out his schedule and content or using Premiere Pro to edit once he’s finished. 

The most satisfying, fulfilling part of his days is always filming. He likes experimenting with different layouts, different designs, likes showing off his sticker hauls and his trips to the stationery store. Junmyeon has never felt very creative, but whenever he films, that feeling dissipates. Suddenly, he feels like he’s doing something meaningful. Something special and good. 

After his day is done, Junmyeon usually washes up, cleans up his space, and tries to relax. Sometimes, he thinks a little too hard about the numbers, and he knows it isn’t good for him. He tries to keep things in perspective. He’s pretty popular, people who call themselves fans, and if that only lasts for a little while, well then, so it goes. 

He realizes some people might find his work silly or frivolous, but he doesn’t mind. Plenty of people watch his videos, and in response, they send him kind comments about how they put on his videos before bed, falling asleep to the gentle movements of his hands, the twinkling of the music, the beautiful colors and shapes. The soft sound of his pen scratching against the paper as he writes. They say that his videos feel like a hug. Like the warm spot on the bed. 

Even if he didn’t love doing what he does, he thinks it would all be worth it for that. 

When he lies in bed at night, he visits the channel that means the most to him. It is a channel called _cafe milk._ The cafe that dominates the videos shares the same name, a beautiful and trendy cafe with bright white walls, corners spilling out with greenery. The bar is wood and dark gunmetal, stools of that same gunmetal grey. There are tables with mismatched chairs, all varying shades of jade. Along the walls, there are minimal decorations, a few modern looking art prints with soft pink and bright blue, the cafe menu listed on simple white letter boards. 

Their menu items are intriguing to say the least, and Junmyeon always watches intently as the barista crafts drink after drink, iced Americanos, strawberry-ade and lemonades, affogato, vanilla and cinnamon lattes, toffee and chocolate milkshakes… Junmyeon feels his mouth water as he watches. 

In reality, though, Junmyeon doesn’t watch for the coffee. Like pretty much everyone else, Junmyeon watches for the barista. 

The barista’s name is Sehun, and one thing that really sets their channel apart from others is that Sehun doesn’t mind showing his face. 

Junmyeon doesn’t know who convinced him to tape himself making the drinks and going through his day to day, but he figures it was probably the owner of the cafe. Anyone who looked at Sehun would know that his face is good for business. 

He is tall, handsome beyond measure. Strong, serious brows, a perfect nose, lips that are kissed with red, perfect to kiss… Junmyeon struggles to keep his eyes away from Sehun’s face whenever he watches, trying to watch his hands as he pours and shakes and stirs, occasionally looking up from his work with a smile, aiming it back over the counter at what Junmyeon assumes to be his adoring hoard of women. 

Junmyeon sighs to himself, watching as Sehun pokes the tip of his tongue out of the corner of his mouth as he delicately places strawberries along the wall of a plastic cup for a parfait. It is his signature face of concentration, and a little white heart blinks next to it as it happens as if to say _Isn’t this cute?_

_Yes_ , Junmyeon thinks back. _It really is._ Junmyeon finds his stomach twisting up with affection for this person he’s never met, a shameful little secret that he keeps all to himself. 

He watches the rest of the video, wishing desperately that he could hear Sehun’s voice as he makes conversation with another cafe worker, a pretty girl in her own right. It’s not her fault that Sehun just shines so brightly. Who could ever compete? 

At the end of the day, Junmyeon falls asleep thinking of Sehun, what he might like, what he might think of someone like Junmyeon having a crush on him. He would hate it, wouldn’t he? Anyone normal would.  
  


⇾

Junmyeon wakes the following morning with a great stretch, and he immediately sets his day into motion.

He begins by showering and getting dressed. It doesn’t take very long, because he always plans his outfits a day in advance because he doesn’t like having to wake up early. He eats a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs, strawberries, a single piece of toast, and a glass of grapefruit juice. Once he’s finished, he brushes his teeth, and he gets to work. 

That particular day, he’s scheduled to film a casual vlog. His last video was a layout video for January, and the new year looms over him. He’ll show some new stickers he got on a random trip to Object, probably film as he rearranges his binders, his little designs for the current week. Maybe he’ll even do a walk down memory lane and flip through some of his old journals from before he started taking it seriously. It might provide some good levity, he thinks to himself, wondering how much worse his handwriting was back then. 

He excitedly starts upon his day, and as he navigates the filming, he completely loses track of time. His phone buzzes with a notification, and he reaches over to stop his camera before checking. 

It bears the yellow banner of KakaoTalk and a title he immediately recognizes to be Baekhyun; he had changed it on Junmyeon’s phone once, and Junmyeon never could be bothered to change it back. 

_cutest kid ever!!!❤️: do you wanna go out for lunch? are you busy?_

Sometimes, Junmyeon thinks if it weren’t for Baekhyun, he’d never go out. He reminds himself that no, that isn’t entirely true. He would need to stock up on paper and stickers every once in a while, so that would force him outside.

_I should finish this video_ , Junmyeon writes back. 

_film us walking around?_ , Baekhyun writes. _people like that. plus you can bring your journal and your stickers. help me study_

Junmyeon frowns at his phone, but he begins to pack up his things. 

He’s felt like his content has been getting a little stale anyway. Baekhyun is always good for an injection of life. He packs his bag and his camera as he shoots Baekhyun a quick message, and then, he’s on his way.  
  


⇾

He meets Baekhyun at the station, and Baekhyun waves excitedly at him from across the way. Junmyeon rolls his eyes, but it’s been a week or so since they met up and it’s always good to see Baekhyun.

“Hi, hi,” Baekhyun says, and Baekhyun makes some peace signs in front of the camera as Junmyeon films their shoes. “What’s up?” 

“I’m hungry,” Junmyeon says. 

“When are you not hungry? You never pay attention to the time,” Baekhyun says, and he moves, Junmyeon following close behind. 

Junmyeon films as they talk, the city streets and the shops along the sidewalk. They stop in a sticker store, and Junmyeon films that too. He ends up buying a bit more than he intended, but he figures he can do a completely separate video on that. He carefully places his bag in his backpack, hoping they won’t get bent in any funny directions. 

“Let’s stop,” Baekhyun says, and he points. “Look.” 

Without a second thought, Junmyeon whips his camera across the street, and suddenly, he is filming the storefront of _cafe milk._

“O-Oh,” Junmyeon says, and he hurriedly shuts off his camera. “Y-Yeah, I’ve heard about this place.” 

He’d never looked it up, never paid attention to where the shop was… he hadn’t realized it was so close to home. 

“They always have a line out the door,” Baekhyun says.

“Yeah,” Junmyeon says wistfully. 

“Must be good coffee.” 

Just then, they see two girls walk out, iced drinks in their hands. 

“Looks good,” Baekhyun says, and he pulls Junmyeon forward by the sleeve. “Let’s go check it out.” 

“Oh, uh, no,” Junmyeon says, and he digs his heels in until Baekhyun is forced to stop. “We could go to, uh, Starbucks if you wanted?” 

Baekhyun squints. “Fuck Starbucks. Let’s go here.” 

“I can’t,” Junmyeon says. 

“Can’t?” 

“I cannot,” Junmyeon says. 

“Why not?” 

“It’s, uh, it’s complicated.” 

“What’s so complicated?” Baekhyun asks, confused. “Have you gone there before?” 

“No,” Junmyeon says. 

“So it’s not that the coffee is bad,” Baekhyun says, frowning, “or that you have a restraining order…” 

“Shut up.” 

“I’m just confused,” Baekhyun says. 

“T-They do a vlog,” Junmyeon says. 

“So? You do a vlog. Isn’t that networking?” 

“I don’t network.” 

“Well maybe you should? Be more confident?” 

“You don’t understand,” Junmyeon says. “H-He—”

“Oh, it’s a guy?” Baekhyun asks, and he stands up on his tip toes like that will help him look into the windows from across the street. “Is he cute? Is that why you’re freaking out?” 

“No, shut up,” Junmyeon says, and he feels his face get hot, but he’s sure that’s just because it’s fucking freezing outside and they’re just standing on the street. Anyone would get so cold they got hot in the face. “Don’t be ridiculous.” 

“It would be more ridiculous to keep standing here,” Baekhyun says, and he bows his head in apology to an older man who has to walk around them. “Come on.” 

And just like that, Junmyeon is being dragged across the crosswalk. He wants to put up a bigger fight, but he knows that will only draw more attention to them. He lets himself be guided to the back of the line as it extends out of the cafe, and then, they wait. 

Wait. 

Wait. 

“Oh, come on,” Baekhyun says, peeking over the couple standing in front of them, “this is crazy.” 

“It’s worth it,” the girl turns around and says with a smile. “Really good stuff.” 

“No coffee is this good,” Baekhyun says. 

“I’m serious,” she says. “It’s really good.” 

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Baekhyun says, folding his arms across his chest as the girl smiles at him. “What?” 

“You’re gonna be obsessed like the rest of us,” the girl promises, and she turns back around, leaving them to their own devices. 

Baekhyun squints at the back of her head, nudging Junmyeon with his elbow. 

“You think she’s right?” Baekhyun whispers, and Junmyeon looks through the cafe window, sees Sehun with his little white apron, his crisp white shirt. 

His waist is so small. His hands are so delicate and strong. He moves so smoothly. Like cream in coffee. 

“I think I would come here if they served dirt in a cup,” Junmyeon whispers softly. 

“That’s very romantic, hyung,” Baekhyun says, patting him on the shoulder. “Not disturbing at all.” 

It takes fifteen minutes before they’re at the counter to order, and Junmyeon’s mouth is so dry that he can barely speak. Luckily, they’re being served by a girl, big bright eyes and a nice smile. 

“Peach milkshake,” Baekhyun says, and he looks over at Junmyeon expecting him to order. 

“G-Grapefruit ade?” he says, clearing his throat once he’s finished. 

The girl smiles and takes their money, and they stand off to the side, watching as the baristas behind her work. 

“That’s him?” Baekhyun asks, nodding at Sehun, and Junmyeon could strangle him. 

“Shut up,” Junmyeon says. 

They watch in silence, the murmur of the line behind them and the people sitting in the packed cafe enough to swallow them up. Junmyeon tries not to ogle as Sehun picks their ticket and begins to craft Baekhyun’s drink, pouring the peach and ice cream into the industrial blender, a hand on the lid as he looks at the other part of the ticket. 

He pours the peach shake into the plastic cup when it’s finished blending, topping it with whipped cream. He holds the cup in his left hand, the canister spraying out noisily as he expertly spins the cup. It results in a picture perfect dome of whipped cream atop the milkshake, and he smiles as he reaches under the counter into a mini fridge, grabbing a couple slices of fresh peach for garnish. 

“Wow,” Baekhyun whispers. “I get it.” 

“Yeah,” Junmyeon whispers back. 

Sehun then gets to work on Junmyeon’s drink, and Junmyeon almost wishes he had ordered something more complicated, something with coffee so that it would take a bit longer, so that he’d have a bit more time to watch. Instead, all Sehun does is reach into the fridge, grab the bottle of freshly squeezed juice, and pour along with the carbonated water. He gives it a little stir at the end, the ice in the cup swirling. He puts the lid on, turning, and he brings their drinks over with a smile. 

“Thank you,” Sehun says, and he gives Baekhyun his drink first before offering Junmyeon his. “Thank you for coming.” 

Their fingers brush as Junmyeon takes the cup from his hand, and he feels the heat creep along the back of his neck. Sehun looks at their hands, and Junmyeon wonders if maybe he should have grabbed the cup in a different place, if maybe it was strange. Does he think that Junmyeon was trying to touch him? Does he get that a lot? 

“Come back soon,” Sehun says with a soft smile, lowering his eyes, and Junmyeon thinks _Well, maybe not._

“So,” Baekhyun says as they try to navigate through the throng, “was he just as good in person?” 

“Better,” Junmyeon whispers. 

“More handsome?” 

“H-He’s a little shier than I thought he’d be,” Junmyeon says. “H-He always seems so confident on camera, but in reality—”

“Very boy next door,” Baekhyun agrees.

“What kind of boys do you live next door to?” 

“You wanna move in?” Baekhyun laughs. “But I get why he’s so popular now.” 

Most of the slowness of the place has to do with people dawdling upon their exit, blocking the traffic of the store. It moves pretty quickly, like a well-oiled machine, and Junmyeon stands for a moment before realizing that they’ll have to leave unless they want to jam up that machine the same as everyone else. 

“Oh, a table, a table,” Baekhyun says suddenly, and before Junmyeon can blink, Baekhyun has sat in one of the chairs, placing his bag in the chair opposite him. A girl glares down at him, and Baekhyun smiles up at her. “Sorry.” He looks over at Junmyeon, still standing there with his drink in his hand. “What are you waiting for, an invitation?” 

Junmyeon picks up Baekhyun’s bag, placing it on the table as he sits down, still kind of shocked at what’s just transpired. Sehun looked at him, looked at him with his own eyes. He touched Junmyeon, spoke to him, and maybe they shared a moment. It might not have been the meet-cute Junmyeon always secretly dreamed of, but it was definitely something Junmyeon will never forget. 

Baekhyun takes a sip of his milkshake through the straw, and his eyes go wide. 

“Good?” Junmyeon wonders. 

“This is the best milkshake I’ve ever had,” Baekhyun says. 

“They make their own ice cream here,” Junmyeon says, stirring at his own drink with his straw, watching as the bubbles dance. “Everything’s homemade. I saw one video where they were roasting their own coffee.” 

“Well, I guess it was worth the price of admission,” Baekhyun says. “How’s yours?” 

Junmyeon takes a sip, frowns. “Delicious.” 

“Why do you look so upset about it?” 

“I dunno,” Junmyeon sighs. 

“All right, freak,” Baekhyun says, and he gestures to Junmyeon’s bag. “Let’s go. We can mess around with your journal.” 

“We shouldn’t take up space,” Junmyeon says. “It would be rude.” 

“You really wanna go?” Baekhyun asks, and he looks back at Sehun, pouring espresso over a tall cup of ice water. He’s staring towards the corner with a smile, and it’s then that Junmyeon realizes that he’s making a video. Of course. He spots the camera along the shelf only a moment later. “He is handsome.” 

“Yeah,” Junmyeon sighs, and he stands, a girl popping into his seat before he’s even picked up his bag. “Let’s get out of here.” 

“That girl was right, though. Drinks are good,” Baekhyun says and as they walk out of the cafe, he bumps his straw against Junmyeon’s. 

“Yeah. They are.”  
  


⇾

Junmyeon goes back to his day to day, planning, filming, and editing videos. He recedes in on himself a bit, keeping his mind busy and moving so that he doesn’t think back to the way Sehun’s hair looked so soft, his skin so clear, his smile so small and shy.

What’s his aim, anyway? He wants everyone to fall in love with him? 

Baekhyun calls later in the week, and they meet up to look at stationery together. Junmyeon looks at pens while Baekhyun picks out washi tapes from across the store. 

“What about this one?” Baekhyun asks. 

“I don’t need anymore. I’ve got boxes upon boxes full of washi tape.” 

“This one has bunnies on it,” Baekhyun says with a smile. 

“Well, bring it over. Let me see,” Junmyeon says, and he grabs one of the fineliners, turning as Baekhyun bounds over with a grin, showing him the washi with the small white bunnies and their accompanying carrots. They look to be fencing. “Oh. That’s cute.” 

“See, I know your taste,” Baekhyun says. “Cute and sweet and morbid.” 

“All right, all right,” Junmyeon says, and he sticks out his basket. “Put it in.” 

“Nice.” Baekhyun tosses it in. “So what else have you been up to? You know, besides videos?” 

“Let’s talk about you,” Junmyeon says. “My life is boring.” 

“You have 446 thousand subscribers on YouTube, how could your life be boring? You’re like, kinda famous,” Baekhyun says. 

“Oh, quiet,” Junmyeon says. “I don’t do anything except eat, sleep, read, walk by the river, and put stickers in a book.” 

“How tranquil of you,” Baekhyun says. “Have you been back to that cafe?” 

“What? No.” 

“Why not?” 

“I just don’t wanna be weird,” Junmyeon says. 

“What’s weird about buying a coffee?” Baekhyun asks. “If anything, they should be grateful for the business. Especially someone so _famous_.” 

Junmyeon picks up a stack of cardstock, and he threatens to whack Baekhyun in the head with it. Baekhyun turns with a laugh, and they journey through the rest of the store. 

They hang out the rest of the day, and after they order food, they get wine to drink at Junmyeon’s apartment. Baekhyun winces as he drinks, and it makes Junmyeon laugh. Their ears go red with a glass, and after a second, the warmth spreads across the back of their necks. Junmyeon listens to Baekhyun talk about a new boy he’s interested in, but there’s a new one each week. In the end, it’s hard to keep track of them all. 

“He’s a business owner, this guy,” Baekhyun says. “That’s impressive, isn’t it?” 

“I guess so,” Junmyeon says. “I wonder if he’s rich.” 

Baekhyun sighs happily, hand wrapped around his half-full glass. “That would be nice.” 

“You said he’s cute?” 

“Very cute,” Baekhyun says. “Very funny.” 

“Tall?” Junmyeon asks. 

“I don’t care about that as much,” Baekhyun asserts. “Not as much as you do.” 

“The last guy you dated was 185,” Junmyeon says. 

“We didn’t date.” 

“Excuse me,” Junmyeon says, leaning back. 

“You’re judging me,” Baekhyun says, waggling his finger. “I can always tell.” 

Junmyeon rolls his eyes. 

“You should talk to that guy,” Baekhyun says suddenly, and Junmyeon’s stomach drops out with heat. “What? What did I say?” 

“Why would I talk to him?” 

“Don’t you think he’s hot?” 

“I’m a hermit, I’m not blind,” Junmyeon says. 

“You go out! You just think too negatively of yourself,” Baekhyun says. “A little bit of self-confidence would do you good.” 

“I’ve got some.” 

“Not enough for how cute you are,” Baekhyun says, and he reaches over, brushing Junmyeon’s hair back out of his face. “You should be someone’s boyfriend.” 

“You think?” Junmyeon asks. 

“You want me to set you up with someone?” Baekhyun asks. 

Junmyeon bites his lip. He should take Baekhyun’s advice. A little bit of confidence goes a long way. He’s not bad looking, he’s not that awkward. And maybe it would serve as enough distraction to finally get Sehun out of his head. 

“What the hell,” Junmyeon says. “Sure.” 

Baekhyun’s eyes go wide like he hadn’t anticipated Junmyeon saying yes, but in the next second, he has launched himself forward, gathering Junmyeon into a tight hug. 

“I am _so_ excited,” Baekhyun says. “I’ll text you the details, okay?” 

“Okay, okay,” Junmyeon says. “I get it. We’re happy.” 

“We’re so happy. Let’s toast.” 

And so they do, to health and happiness and love.  
  


⇾

Junmyeon worries over his outfit before the date, some mutual friend that Baekhyun and his new guy know. Junmyeon doesn’t usually like being brought out of his comfort zone like this, but Baekhyun showed Junmyeon the guy’s picture, and he looks good enough.

They go shopping first, and they talk about their lives, what they do. The guy seems to know a little bit about Junmyeon’s channel, so Junmyeon explains a bit more about what he does. It’s nice to talk about once in a while, not too much, and eventually, he diverts the conversation to the guy. He’s fine. He’s decent. He’s good to look at and he’s interesting. 

Junmyeon becomes less enthralled when they’re walking down the street and he suggests stopping at _cafe milk._

“Is that okay?” the guy asks, nodding towards the place. “Kyungsoo owns it.” 

_Kyungsoo_ , Junmyeon thinks. _Where have I heard that name before?_

And then it hits him. Baekhyun’s new boyfriend. Baekhyun’s new boyfriend owns the coffee shop where Sehun works. 

“Ah, sure,” Junmyeon says. “Yeah, that’s fine.” 

That’s how they end up being served by Sehun, hair brushed back, a white apron wrapped tightly around his waist. It accentuates it in the worst way, and Junmyeon can barely keep his eyes forward as his date talks. 

The rest of the date goes okay, they get along fine, but as soon as Junmyeon gets home that evening, he calls Baekhyun with haste. 

“Hey, what’s up?” Baekhyun asks. 

“You didn’t tell me your new boyfriend owned the cafe,” Junmyeon says hurriedly. 

“Didn’t feel like important information at the time,” Baekhyun says before quickly adding, “and he’s not my boyfriend.” 

“You’ve embarrassed me.” 

“Not like that’s never happened before,” Baekhyun says. “How’d the date go?”

“It was fine,” Junmyeon says. 

“Let me guess, you were too taken by the barista to even pay attention to what was going on in front of you.” They share a beat of silence. “I win again.” 

“I don’t want to be friends anymore,” Junmyeon says, and he hangs up quickly, but Baekhyun texts him a moment later. 

_At least let the guy down gently_ , Baekhyun writes with a couple goofy stickers. _He seemed to really like you._

_Stop, we barely had any chemistry_ , Junmyeon writes, and he daydreams about the way Sehun smiled down at them, just as shy as the first time.  
  


⇾

Junmyeon begins to visit the cafe in the mornings when he doesn’t feel inspired. He gets there as soon as the place opens, takes the seat by the window, and people-watches as he works on a new video. It’s not the first time he’s filmed in public before, but the set up is a little different, the angles strange to him. He’s used to working at home. Still, the videos always do well, something about the cafe ambience.

He always gets some kind of juice, the cafe always offering some kind of citrus-ade or another. It chills him to the bone, but he doesn’t favor hot drinks that much. The first time he orders something different, yuja tea, he watches Sehun’s brows raise as he gets the ticket. 

Junmyeon tries not to let that fill him up with warmth as he wanders back to his seat, but it seems like Sehun has begun to recognize him at least a bit. He takes that to heart as he begins to lay little heart stickers down on his planner with his tweezers. 

“There you go,” Sehun says, and he bows quickly. “Enjoy.” 

He turns without another word, the back of his neck and the tips of his ears slapped red. Junmyeon bites his lip. If he was a betting man, he would say that Sehun did a little more than recognize him. Still, he’s here for the drinks and the atmosphere. That’s all.  
  


⇾

He doesn’t stop watching Sehun’s videos, and he doesn’t stop visiting the cafe in the early mornings. He usually hangs out for a while, sometimes orders another drink for his walk home. He finished up a little filming session just as he finished his orange tea, so he packs up his bag quickly, jumping in the back of the line.

When he gets to the front of the line, however, Sehun is working the register with a shy smile. 

“Hi,” Sehun says. “Can I help you?” 

“A-A, um, an orange-ade?” 

“Sure,” Sehun says, “you don’t really like coffee, right?” 

“N-No, not much,” Junmyeon says. “I sometimes drink lattes, but I prefer juice.” 

Sehun smiles as Junmyeon pays, the little _I know you, I pay attention to what you order_ hanging in the air. Junmyeon tries to remind himself that this is his job, that of _course_ he pays attention to what people order. He’s making something out of nothing. 

“Thanks,” Junmyeon says softly, and he watches as Sehun heads back to pour and mix his drink. 

“Thank you,” Sehun says. “You always give me a little break. Nothing complicated.” 

Junmyeon wants to say something, wants to be funny and clever, but he can’t think of anything. He just bows his head and heads home, texting Baekhyun about their meetup the following day.  
  


⇾

That evening, Junmyeon prepares himself for bed the same way he always does. He washes up, he lays out his clothes for the following day, he buries himself under his blankets, and he watches the latest video that _cafe milk._ has produced.

This video centers on the latest line of winter drinks, the different parfaits and shakes and lattes that Sehun and the rest of the baristas have developed. Junmyeon watches with a sigh as he sees Sehun unfurl in front of the camera, dynamic and charismatic and utterly charming. Drinks are made effortlessly, a certain _You could do this too, here, let me show you_ emanating off every little movement. Junmyeon loses himself in it, eyes going heavy and relaxed as he watches Sehun smile, laugh, pour, stir. 

The video is over too soon, and Junmyeon finds himself wanting to hit repeat. He lets Sehun’s goofy laugh at the end of the bloopers play over and over again, finger dragging the cursor back at least half a dozen times. It’s grating in the best way. It’s the kind of thing Junmyeon always wants to hear. 

In a fit of insanity, Junmyeon decides to do something he’s never done before. Junmyeon decides to leave a comment. 

_ah, it looks so good, what should i do?,_ he writes, and his phone slips out of his hand a moment later, the sleep taking him.  
  


⇾

Junmyeon wakes the next morning feeling a little regretful. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything? Would it make Sehun feel weird, seeing another creator comment? No, Junmyeon thinks, he shouldn’t be crazy. Sehun doesn’t even know he’s been coming in. For all he knows, Junmyeon is just some guy with a stationery and journaling channel who watches cafe videos before bed. It’s normal. Nothing out of the ordinary.

He scrolls through his notifications on YouTube before getting out of bed, the same way he does every morning, but when he sees the overwhelming number that have come solely from his comment on the _cafe milk._ channel, his heart leaps. 

_two of my favorite channels, ah…. why does this feel like magic_

_collaboration?? collaboration???? i would love to see our sehunnie using some of your stickers_

_tell us, how often do you watch sehun-ah’s videos? as often as the rest of us? isn’t he too handsome? it isn’t fair, oppa_

Junmyeon smiles to himself, clutching his phone to his chest as he wiggles around in bed. It shouldn’t make him so happy, and yet here he is… delirious.  
  


⇾

It becomes something of a tradition now, heading to _cafe milk._ and the more he sees Sehun, the more comfortable he feels around him. He’s just a person after all, a person just like Junmyeon, and even though he’s beautiful, talented, charming, and all the rest, he’s still just a guy working in a coffee shop. It’s important not to put people on pedestals, he reminds himself. Besides, even though Sehun doesn’t know it, Junmyeon is just as much of a public figure as he is.

Junmyeon was just smart enough not to show his face. He’s as private as a public figure can get. 

Junmyeon stops in on the way home from Baekhyun’s one evening, hoping to get an orange lemonade before closing time. The door opens and there are still some workers inside, so Junmyeon assumes everything is fine. It’s the first time there hasn’t been a great number of people flooding the shop, and Junmyeon has to say, he prefers it this way. 

A man with short black hair and big square glasses appears in front of him, an apron wrapped around his waist. _Kyungsoo_ , his name tag reads. 

_Strange_ , Junmyeon thinks. _I’ve never seen him here before, though I know he must be around._

“Hi, I’m the owner of this cafe,” Kyungsoo says as he’s wiping his hands across his apron, and he bows politely. “Thank you for coming.” 

“Ah, yes, I really enjoy it here,” Junmyeon bows back. “Y-You’re friends with Baekhyun.” 

Kyungsoo blinks, shaking his head with a smile. “Yes, that’s right. Friends.” 

“He’s a good friend,” Junmyeon says. 

“Yes. Um. Unfortunately, we’re closing right now,” the owner says. “If you want to come back tomor—”

“Wait, wait.” 

Suddenly, Sehun is rushing towards them, and Junmyeon’s heart beats like hummingbird wings. 

“What?” Kyungsoo asks. 

“I’ll take him,” Sehun says. “Is that okay?” 

Kyungsoo gives a shrug of his shoulders. “I guess.” 

Sehun waves him over towards the table closest to the register, offering him a chair. Junmyeon looks around, sees the other baristas cleaning up, and suddenly feels incredibly bad for coming. 

“I’m sorry,” Junmyeon says. “I didn’t realize you were closing so soon.” 

“Slow day for us,” Sehun says. 

“You have those?” 

Sehun laughs. “Once in a while. It’s no trouble, serving you.” 

“O-Oh,” Junmyeon says. “Good, then.” 

“So I wanted to ask you something,” Sehun says. He leans forward, hands on the table. Maybe he doesn’t know how good he looks. Maybe he’s blind to it. 

“Sure,” Junmyeon says, mouth gone dry. 

“You’re papercotton, right?” Sehun asks softly. “I, um, I watch your channel. I’m a pretty big fan.” 

Junmyeon can’t quite explain the feeling that leaps through him, something like the adrenaline of falling, when you’ve been hurt but the synapses haven’t yet fired. A strange moment, a moment of betweenness. 

“W-What?” 

“Your videos,” Sehun says. “On YouTube?” 

“I-I…” 

“Is it bad that I said something?” Sehun asks, voice so sweet and quiet as he leans backwards. He clutches his hands together in his apron nervously. “I thought it was okay, s-since you left that comment and everything.” 

“O-Oh, I… y-yes, it’s me,” Junmyeon says.   
Sehun’s eyes light up in a way that Junmyeon’s never seen before, and he’s been watching Sehun for a year now. 

“Do you want to know something funny?” Sehun asks. 

“S-Sure.” 

“I knew it was you from the first time you came in with your friend,” Sehun says. “I watch your videos to fall asleep, so as soon as I saw your hands when you took that grapefruit-ade from me, I knew.” 

“Oh my God,” Junmyeon says, and he slaps a hand over his face. “And I thought I was being so secretive.” 

“Did you?” 

Junmyeon lowers his hand from his face, and Sehun has begun to pull the chair out opposite Junmyeon. His throat goes impossibly drier as he realizes Sehun intends to sit and talk, so he sits up a little bit straighter, a little bit more polite. 

“I dunno,” Junmyeon says. “I just didn’t want to make things weird.” 

“Weird? How?” 

“I’ve been a fan of your channel for a while,” Junmyeon says. “I always thought, ah, don’t wanna make things awkward.” 

“Why would it be awkward?” Sehun says. “W-We’re mutual fans. I think that’s nice.” 

“Yeah,” Junmyeon says. “It is. It is nice.” 

“And now we can be friends,” Sehun says. “I mean. If that’s something you’re okay with. I know Kyungsoo knows your friend. S-So… you know, we could be friends if you wanted.” 

“Y-Yeah, of course,” Junmyeon says, shocked by his luck, by the way Sehun looks away with a shy smile. “God, I can’t believe you watch my videos.” 

“I don’t really journal, but I think it’s really cool. I think you’re really cool.” Sehun bites his lip suddenly, tongue poking out the corner of his mouth for a moment as he leans forward. “C-Can I call you hyung?” 

“S-Sure,” Junmyeon says. “We can talk comfortably.” 

“Great,” Sehun smiles, bright and beautiful. “Thanks, hyung.” 

Junmyeon fiddles with his hands, wanting something to do in the empty silence. 

“Oh. Right. Can I get you something to drink?” Sehun asks. “M-Maybe a latte? I know you said you don’t drink coffee much, but maybe you would want to try something new?” 

“Sure… something, um, something sweet,” Junmyeon says. “But not something too bad for you.” 

“I’ve noticed that, you know,” Sehun says, and he grins. “You only ever drink juice.” 

“I drink other things. Sometimes.” 

“How about a smoothie, then?” Sehun wonders. “It’s good.” 

“What flavors do you make?” Junmyeon asks, and he looks towards the letter board menu, trying to squint to see the options.

“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Sehun says, and he hurries off behind the counter to begin working. “I’ll get you something good.” 

“O-Oh, okay,” Junmyeon says, and he waits patiently, occasionally craning his neck to peek over the bar as he watches Sehun wheel his way around the cafe’s kitchen. It only takes a couple moments before he returns with a plastic cup, subtly amber in color. 

“Here,” Sehun says proudly, and he sits back down. “Try. Quick.” 

“Okay, jeez,” Junmyeon says, and he leans forward for a sip. 

Immediately he is hit with sweetness, with cream, with tartness of citrus and the warmth of ginger. It’s overwhelmingly delicious, so much so that his eyes go wide. 

“Good?” 

“W-What is this?” Junmyeon wonders, and he takes another long sip, refreshing and perfectly tart. “It’s delicious.” 

“Citron yogurt smoothie,” Sehun says happily. “I got the recipe from a friend.” 

“It’s amazing. Is this going to go on the menu?” 

“If you like it, it will,” Sehun shrugs happily. 

“Then you should definitely put it on,” Junmyeon says. “I’ll order it every time.”   
Sehun smiles, drumming his fingers on the table, and Junmyeon takes another sip, swallowing rather enthusiastically. 

“Sehun!” 

They both look over to find one of the other baristas waving him over towards the bar. 

“I have to go wash the blender,” Sehun says. “But, um, I’ll be back in a minute, okay?” 

“Sure,” Junmyeon says, utterly confused by what’s happening. “Sorry, I could leave if you—”

“No, no,” Sehun says. “Stay! We’re almost done anyway.” 

“Oh. Okay,” Junmyeon says, and he sits and waits patiently as Sehun goes through the rest of his motions, he and the rest of his coworkers closing up. 

Eventually, they start sweeping, and Junmyeon can’t just sit there any longer. He stands, taking his cup, and he walks over to Sehun. 

“I should really get going, I don’t want to be in the way,” Junmyeon says apologetically. 

“We’re finished,” Sehun says. “I swept last night, so I’m good to go.” 

“O-Oh, okay,” Junmyeon says. “Well, it was, um, it was really nice meeting you and everything. Sorry I didn’t… um, introduce myself or anything.” 

“I’m sorry I didn’t say something sooner,” Sehun smiles. “Do you live nearby?” 

“Um, a couple blocks,” Junmyeon says. “Why?” 

“Near the subway?” 

“That’s right,” Junmyeon says. 

“I could walk you home!” Sehun offers. “I have to go that way anyway.” 

“Oh. Yeah,” Junmyeon says. “That would be nice.” 

He watches as Sehun waves to his coworkers, Kyungsoo and the rest of them shuffling them away, and he bows his head as he adds his own goodbyes. The door closes behind them, and then somehow, he is walking along the city street in the middle of the cold winter with Sehun at his side. 

How did he manage this? 

“So, you, um, you like journaling,” Sehun says. “That’s cool. How did you, uh, get into that?” 

“My mom bought me a journal as a kid,” Junmyeon recalls fondly. “I used to get stickers anytime I got any money. And I would just go crazy with them.” 

“When did you think of starting a channel?” Sehun asks. 

“I think I was scrolling through YouTube one day, and I saw someone doing a video. It gave me a real shoot of inspiration, so I immediately went back to my journal and started doing something along the same lines,” Junmyeon says. “Kind of mirroring what they were doing. And then, as I discovered more and more channels, saw more and more styles, I kind of developed my own. And from then, I thought… I dunno. I wanted to be like that too.” 

“You’ve come a long way, hyung,” Sehun says. “I remember one of my, uh, friends showed me your channel, she was obsessed with you.” Junmyeon’s heart crumbles inside him at the mention of a girl, but he tries not to let it show. “Suddenly, I had watched every single one of your videos.” 

“Stop,” Junmyeon says. 

“I’m serious, hyung!” 

“I’ve watched your channel since the beginning,” Junmyeon confesses. “You always looked so happy to be working.” 

“I just like coffee a lot,” Sehun says with a shrug, and he turns, eyes sparkling under the streetlights as they walk. “You’ve watched since the beginning?” 

“Yeah,” Junmyeon says. “I’m a big fan of cafe vlogs.” 

“You only just visited a little while ago,” Sehun says. “Why?” 

Junmyeon shrugs, and he knows he can’t tell Sehun the real reason… that he knew that he would fall in love just at the sight of him. The idol barista. 

“I always saw and heard how busy you were,” Junmyeon says. “Didn’t wanna add to that.” 

“Oh, come on,” Sehun says. “Really?” 

“Yes, of course,” Junmyeon says. 

“Ah, you’re such a thoughtful hyung then,” Sehun says, and he looks up at Junmyeon’s building as they come to a stop. “Here?” 

“Yeah, this is, uh, this is me,” Junmyeon says. “I should get upstairs.” 

“Yeah,” Sehun says. “And, um, hyung?” 

“Yeah?” 

“I was thinking,” Sehun says. “Do you remember when you came with that guy? Not your friend, but the tall one.” 

“T-To the cafe?” 

“Yeah,” Sehun says softly. “It was a while ago.” 

“I remember,” Junmyeon says. “I didn’t know him that well.” 

“Do you know him better now?” 

Junmyeon wrinkles his brow. “W-What do you mean?” 

“Was it a date, hyung?” Sehun asks, and he looks off down the street before turning back to Junmyeon with big hopeful eyes. “You aren’t seeing him, are you?” 

“N-No,” Junmyeon says. “No, I’m not.” 

“Do you want to see me?” Sehun asks. 

“R-Really?” 

“I’ve been trying to work up the courage since I first saw you, hyung,” Sehun says softly. “Maybe we could do something this weekend? Just you and me?” 

“Yes,” Junmyeon says. “Yes, that sounds… that sounds very nice.” 

“Can I have your ID?” Sehun asks, and wordlessly, Junmyeon passes over his phone. “I, um, I need you to unlock it first.” 

“Oh. God. Yes, here,” Junmyeon says, and after that, Sehun is eager to enter his information, adding Junmyeon quickly. “Wow. Okay. So—”

“So I’ll message you,” Sehun says. “Okay? A-And we can go out together.” 

“All right,” Junmyeon says, nodding. “Yes.” 

“Have a good night, hyung, okay? Don’t stay up too late or anything like that.”

“I won’t.” 

“Promise?” Sehun asks, sparkling under the cover of this romantic starry night. 

“I promise,” Junmyeon says. 

“Night, then,” Sehun says, and he watches as Junmyeon heads upstairs into his building, up into his room, phone shaking in his hand. 

The first thing he does, the absolute _first_ thing, is call Baekhyun. 

“What’s wrong, are you being robbed?” Baekhyun asks. 

“Why would that be why I’m calling?” Junmyeon asks. “I would call the police, not you.” 

“I’m better than the police,” Baekhyun says, “I have a bl—”

“Black belt in hapkido, yes, I know,” Junmyeon says. “I’m calling because… you didn’t set this up, did you?” 

“Set what up?” Baekhyun asks. 

“You,” Junmyeon says. “You and your boyfriend. You didn’t… you didn’t talk to Sehun about me, did you?” 

“What? No, of course not. Why would you say that?” 

“He walked me home,” Junmyeon says. “He asked me on a date.” 

“ _Excuse me?_ ”

“We’re going to go on a date this weekend,” Junmyeon says, voice shaking as he comes down from the high. “We’re going on a _date_.” 

“How? Why? Tell me everything,” Baekhyun says. 

“You seriously didn’t talk to Kyungsoo about this?” 

Baekhyun scoffs as he tries to act cooler than he is on the inside. 

“I talk to Kyungsoo when I’ve got my dick inside him,” Baekhyun says.

“You don’t normally top,” Junmyeon says. 

“If you saw his ass, you would try too,” Baekhyun sighs wistfully. 

“It seems like he likes you.” 

“What guy wouldn’t?” Baekhyun says. “I’m a total catch. Anyway, enough about me, tell me about _him_.”  
  


⇾

They decide to go to a cafe.

“Don’t you get tired of being in a cafe?” Junmyeon laughs. “I mean, you work all day in a cafe.” 

“I’m off sometimes,” Sehun says. “Don’t be like that, hyung.” 

“Seriously, though.” 

“I like trying other people’s drinks,” Sehun says thoughtfully, pouting his lips. “I like seeing what kind of things they’re trying.” He looks over at Junmyeon, gently bumping their shoulders together. “Kinda like how you watch other stationery channels?” 

“Yeah,” Junmyeon says. “I guess that makes sense.” 

“Good,” Sehun says. “Plus, this place has really good tarts.” 

“Mm,” Junmyeon says happily, skipping once as they walk. “I like tarts.” 

“I’ll tell Kyungsoo,” Sehun says. 

“Yeah?” 

“If you like it, it should be on the menu,” Sehun assesses. 

“Y-You’re crazy,” Junmyeon says. 

“You think?” 

“Yeah, you must be.” 

“Why do you say that?” 

Junmyeon shrugs, the collar of his coat brushing against his cheeks. “You treat me like… like you like me.” 

“Well, I do like you,” Sehun says, and as they walk into the cafe, another trendy little place with a long line, Junmyeon feels his heart race. “Is that such a surprise? I mean, we’re on a date.” 

“Shut up,” Junmyeon says. “Not so loud.” 

“Am I being loud? Sorry,” Sehun says, a face that says _I am not sorry, and I have never been sorry._

Junmyeon scoffs, and Sehun bumps his hip into Junmyeon’s, sending him a little off balance. It is comfortable, comfortable in a way he doesn’t usually get around strangers, but then, he supposes they aren’t complete strangers. They know a lot about each other. Have been together for a while without knowing it. 

“Does that bother you?” Sehun asks quietly. “Being out, or whatever?” 

“I-I never gave it too much thought, honestly,” Junmyeon says. “Since I keep things on my channel mostly anonymous, I never really worried.” 

“Would it worry you?” Sehun asks. “Being with me?” 

Junmyeon blinks wetly, and he looks around. People are milling about, and he’s sure that, in the grand scheme of things, no one notices and no one cares. Even if they did, though… maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Being noticed. Being known. 

In another fit of insanity, much like the first, he acts on impulse and desire. He reaches down between their bodies, nervously takes Sehun’s hand in his. 

“Maybe a little,” Junmyeon says. “But I will get over it.” 

“Just like that?” Sehun wonders. “Putting your mind to it?” 

“Yeah,” Junmyeon says. “I’m good at that.” 

“Determined?” 

“Very,” Junmyeon agrees. 

“Well, then, good,” Sehun says. 

“Good.” 

They find themselves at the front of the line within a moment or two, and they make their orders. Junmyeon grabs a table as Sehun waits for their drinks, and Sehun wanders over after they’re finished, but he also returns with a white grape tart. 

“Whoa,” Junmyeon marvels as Sehun sets the box between them. He unfolds it, staring at the sugar-dusted fruit, the pastry cream peeking out underneath. “You didn’t have to get this.” 

“You said you liked tarts,” Sehun says. “So. I got you a tart.” 

“God,” Junmyeon says. “You’re… you’re a lot different than I imagined.” 

“Different how?” 

“I thought you were going to be a little bit more… I don’t know.” Junmyeon nervously takes a sip of his orange-ade. It’s good, but Junmyeon prefers Sehun’s. 

“More what, hyung?” He leans up on his elbows, hands under his chin. 

“You were intimidating at first,” Junmyeon says. 

“Intimidating?” 

“Well, look at you,” Junmyeon says. “You’re beautiful. You’re charming.” 

“You think I’m beautiful, hyung?” Sehun asks. 

“Have you looked in a mirror lately?” Junmyeon says drily. 

“Have _you_ , hyung?” 

“Oh, shut up,” Junmyeon says. “Drink your coffee.” 

“I’m getting to it,” Sehun says. 

They spend the rest of their date getting to know each other, talking about friends and family and schools. He finds Sehun a lot more soft-spoken, a lot more down to Earth even, than he seems on camera. He contains multitudes, Junmyeon realizes, and maybe, just maybe, Junmyeon makes him a little nervous. 

What kind of world is he living in? 

The tart is sweet as they share it, the drinks are sweet, and Junmyeon even tries Sehun’s latte. It’s not bad, not terrible. 

“See, now I know you have to try one of mine,” Sehun says, the walk home feeling oh so short when he’s with someone he likes. “You like peppermint and chocolate together?” 

“Yeah, of course,” Junmyeon says. 

“Next time you come to the cafe,” Sehun says. “Mint chocolate latte. You won’t know what hit you.” 

“Okay,” Junmyeon says. “I’m looking forward to it then.” 

“I think, um, maybe we should go out again sometime. You had fun, right?” Sehun asks. 

“Yeah,” Junmyeon says. “I did.” 

“Then come by the cafe Tuesday night.” He shrugs his shoulders happily. “I’m closing. I’ll make you something delicious, a-and then we can walk by the river!” 

“R-Really?” 

“Yeah, would that be good?” 

“I think so,” Junmyeon says. 

“Then it’s a date,” Sehun says, and he bounces on the balls of his feet as he begins to walk towards the subway. “Another date.” 

“Yeah,” Junmyeon says, and he turns towards his building. “Another date.”  
  


⇾

They text back and forth through the week, and without Junmyeon even realizing it, Sehun becomes a part of his day to day. He looks forward to messaging him as soon as he gets up, sends behind the scenes pictures whenever he’s in the middle of working on a new video. Sehun texts back quickly on days he isn’t working, slowly on days he is, and Junmyeon is happy with all of it.

It occurs to him as he’s laying little hearts all over February’s calendar that he has never been quite so infatuated with anyone. They make frequent trips to the river after Sehun’s finished his closing shifts, and they walk hand in hand, watching the city lights waver over the water. Romance seems to bleed through everything now, and he can barely think about anything besides the next time he’ll see Sehun, the next time they’ll touch. The next time they’ll hug. 

The only thing, of course, is that they’ve yet to kiss. They’ve shared so much, gotten so close so quickly, and Junmyeon wants to… wants to show Sehun he’s ready.   
Junmyeon goes to the cafe that evening, and the rest of the girls and Kyungsoo wave at him, a familiar sight by now. Sehun is nowhere to be found, but he pushes out from the back room with a bright grin. He bounds over to pull Junmyeon into his arms, an enthusiastic, clingy hug. 

“You want a parfait?” Sehun asks. “I’ll make one for you.” 

“No drinks,” Junmyeon says. “Just hurry up and finish.” 

“In a rush?” 

“I guess,” Junmyeon says, and he looks into Sehun’s eyes, shocked at how far they’ve come. So familiar with each other and so fast. 

“Well, just give me a minute then,” Sehun says with a smile. 

Junmyeon waits by the door as they mill around, wiping down counters and washing the floors, stepping outside once it’s time to lock up. The rest of them part, and Kyungsoo gives them a look over, head to toe. 

“Have a good night,” he says simply. 

“Are you going to see Baekhyun?” Junmyeon wonders. 

“No,” Kyungsoo says. 

“Oh.” Junmyeon wrinkles his brow. “Well, okay. Good night.” 

They walk down towards Junmyeon’s apartment, and then they walk to the river. By the time they get there, Junmyeon’s already got a text from Baekhyun. 

_What did you say to Kyungsoo? Why’s he being weird?_

“What’s with them, huh?” Sehun asks, peeking over his shoulder to spy. 

“I dunno,” Junmyeon says, and he shoves his phone away. “Emotionally stunted.” 

“Not like us,” Sehun says proudly. “Very emotionally open.” 

“Yeah,” Junmyeon laughs, gripping his free hand into a fist to stop from taking Sehun in a frantic kiss. “Very open.” 

They walk in silence, and it is everything he could ever ask for. Even if it was just this, he thinks he would be okay with it. Even if Sehun just turned out to be the best friend in the world, he thinks it would be okay. 

“I missed you a lot,” Sehun says softly. “A lot.” 

“Yeah? I missed you too,” Junmyeon says. 

“I watched your most recent video four times,” Sehun says. “Just to watch your hands.” 

“Shut up,” Junmyeon laughs. 

“They’re very expressive.” 

“Don’t lie to me.” 

“I can practically hear you,” Sehun smiles, and when Junmyeon looks over, Sehun is sparkling, streaming with light. “Just with your hands. Makes me miss you a ton, though.” 

“Stop.” 

“Why?” 

“B-Because it makes me crazy,” Junmyeon says. 

Sehun pulls Junmyeon by the hand to a gentle stop, pulling him into his arms. They move back and forth like they’re slow-dancing, and Junmyeon’s heart pulls in his chest. 

“What if I like you when you’re crazy?” Sehun asks. Junmyeon makes a noise of frustration, of want, and Sehun drags himself out of the embrace, hands on Junmyeon’s hips. “What?” 

“Can I kiss you?” Junmyeon asks. 

“Yes,” Sehun answers, and Junmyeon raises himself up to his tip toes as they meet, lips soft and sweet against one another’s. 

They kiss there in the dim light of the evening, hidden away from everyone and everything except the water and the screaming streets, and _God_ , Junmyeon thinks, _if this isn’t nice, what is?_  
  


⇾

It is the mark of a new phase of Junmyeon’s life. There is before Sehun, and there is after. The after is filled with love, with joy, with satisfaction in the most basic forms.

“Hey,” Sehun says. “I’m coming over, okay?” 

“Okay, okay,” Junmyeon says, shuffling papers and binders. “Let me just clean up really fast.” 

“You don’t need to clean up too much,” Sehun says. “I like that stuff, remember?” 

“Shut up.” 

“Always this,” Sehun says, “always this, hyung. Telling me to shut up. If I didn’t know any better, I would assume you hated me.” 

“You know I like you.” 

“Yeah? You like me, hyung? You wanna kiss me?” 

“Oh my god, enough,” Junmyeon says. “You want me to let you in the apartment or no? It’s cold today. I’ll let you freeze.” 

“ _Hyung_ ,” Sehun whines. “I brought you a drink!” 

“Well, okay,” Junmyeon says. 

“I also bought you stickers I saw,” Sehun says. “I bet you can’t wait.” 

“I can’t wait,” Junmyeon says. “Hurry. Okay?” 

“Hyung, don’t,” Sehun whines. “You’re gonna make me run into oncoming traffic.” 

Junmyeon smiles, clutching the phone a little closer to his face. “Don’t do that. Who will I kiss then?” 

“No one!” Sehun says. “I’m almost there!” 

Junmyeon waits patiently for Sehun to arrive, and when he finally does, he sets the sticker sheet and the drink on the table, peppering Sehun’s face with kisses.  
  


⇾

Truthfully, he never imagined himself to figure things out before Baekhyun did. After all, Baekhyun was easy to love, just as easy to fall in love. He just had trouble settling down, that’s all. But Kyungsoo, Junmyeon thought, daydreaming as he waited for Sehun to get off work… Kyungsoo was perfect. Smart and funny in a dry kind of way that played off Baekhyun’s more off-the-wall style… plus, he was a business owner. He was handsome. He was close to Junmyeon’s new boyfriend.

What wasn’t to like about him? 

“We should get them together,” Sehun says as they dawdle by the exit. 

“They are together,” Junmyeon insists. 

“But like, really together.” 

“I know, I know,” Junmyeon says. “What can we do? They’re both so stubborn.” 

“Maybe if Baekhyun took a chance,” Sehun says. 

“Maybe if _Kyungsoo_ took a chance.” 

“Don’t let them drag us into their nonsense,” Sehun advises. “We’re happy.” 

He bumps his hand into Junmyeon’s, and Junmyeon finds himself biting his lip to avoid the overwhelming urge to kiss the fuck out of him. 

“Hey.” They look over to find Kyungsoo pushing his glasses up his nose, staring at them. “Stop blocking the doorway. It’s a fire hazard.” 

“We were just going,” Sehun says. “Say hi to Baekhyun for us.” 

Sehun tries to drag Junmyeon through the door, but Junmyeon pulls back, smiling at Kyungsoo. 

“How are things going between the two of you, by the way?” Junmyeon wonders. 

“Okay, I guess,” Kyungsoo says. 

“We should double date,” Sehun says quickly. “The four of us. Dinner sometime!” He continues to try to pull Junmyeon outside. 

“I dunno if he’d go for that,” Kyungsoo says. 

“Why not?” 

“He’s very anti-relationship,” Kyungsoo says, “as I’m sure you know.” 

“No,” Junmyeon says, and he wags his finger knowingly. “He’s anti-relationship with the wrong people. But you’re the right person. So we’re going out.” 

As Sehun finally manages to get Junmyeon through the door, Kyungsoo mutters “Whatever you say” in a way that makes Junmyeon feel like he means _good luck._ But Junmyeon doesn’t need any luck, not with Baekhyun at least.  
  


⇾

Junmyeon thinks maybe he took the wrong approach, surprising Baekhyun that evening, smiling in his doorway. In his defense, he doesn’t think Baekhyun would go with it any other way. There was something about him, too scared to go too deep.

“You need me for emotional support?” Baekhyun squawks. 

“Yeah,” Junmyeon says. “Because—”

“Because you’re so in love with your new boyfriend that you don’t have time for little old me anymore,” Baekhyun says. “I see right through you, hyung. Don’t give me any of that.” 

“Fine, you got me. We’re ambushing you,” Junmyeon says. “Kyungsoo’s coming. We’re going to see a movie together.” 

“Why’s Kyungsoo coming?” 

“Because you should date him.” 

“Not the dating type,” Baekhyun says. 

“You love everybody,” Junmyeon says. “You are exactly the dating type.” 

“Exactly my point,” Baekhyun says, but he grabs his keys anyway. “I have too much love to give to put it all on one person.” 

But they find themselves at the theater anyway, and when Kyungsoo takes Baekhyun’s hand in his with little hesitation and Baekhyun takes the chance to lace their fingers together, Junmyeon nudges Sehun to look. 

_They’re in love_ , Sehun mouths with a grin. 

_Me too_ , Junmyeon mouths back. 

Sehun kisses him in the dark theater, and Junmyeon decides that it was the best decision of his life, following Baekhyun that day.  
  


⇾

Junmyeon is sitting on his bed, watching Sehun make himself coffee. It’s too late for coffee, but Junmyeon won’t tell him so. He’s already had a lecture about it before.

“You know, for all that stuff about not wanting a boyfriend,” Sehun says, “they’re kind of annoying about it now.” 

“Baekhyun keeps telling me he’s happily married,” Junmyeon says. “Can you believe that? Married.” 

“Well, they did get certain things out of the way early,” Sehun says, and when Junmyeon raises a brow, a little bar of red appears along the back of Sehun’s neck. 

“What kinds of things?” 

“They slept together,” Sehun says. “You know. That kind of thing.” 

“O-Oh, right,” Junmyeon says. “Yes.” 

“I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable, hyung,” Sehun says. “I’ll wait until you’re ready, I don’t mind waiting.” 

“I, um, I didn’t even realize we were waiting,” Junmyeon says. 

“What do you mean? What are you talking about?” 

“I didn’t… you want to sleep together?” 

“Yes?” Sehun says. “Obviously, yes.” 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“I-I don’t know. I just thought you would bring it up.” 

“I want to sleep with you,” Junmyeon says. 

“W-Well, then what are we doing?” Sehun asks, and he sets his coffee down. “Come on.” 

“Come on, what?” 

“Come on, let’s go shower,” Sehun says. “Hurry, hurry.” 

“What’s the rush?” Junmyeon laughs. He lets himself be led to the bathroom, the slow strip of clothing, the sound of skin on tile, the water pouring down over them as they embrace. 

They wash

“Hey,” Sehun whispers, his lips by Junmyeon’s neck. It makes him arch, groan as they press together. “I love you.” 

“I love you,” Junmyeon whispers. “Can you fuck me now?”

Sehun reaches between his legs, pets hard and soft. 

“You just had to ask.”  
  


⇾

It is a certain kind of surreal. They went from watching each other to lying in each other’s arms. Junmyeon traces circles into Sehun’s skin as the sweat dries.

“Hey,” Junmyeon says. “I had an idea.” 

“What’s your idea, hyung?” Sehun wonders, and he holds Junmyeon by the ass firmly as he grins. “Do it again?” 

“Shut _up_. No, I was thinking about showing my face,” Junmyeon says. “About… maybe, um, maybe starting a channel together?” 

“A couple channel?” Sehun says, eyes alight. 

“If that’s something you’re interested in,” Junmyeon says. “I thought it could be fun. T-To document, you know?” 

“You think we’re gonna be together for a long time, don’t you?” 

Junmyeon’s heart jumps into his throat. 

“Y-Yeah, sorry,” Junmyeon says. 

“Why be sorry, hyung?” Sehun says. “You’re right. We’re always gonna be together. We’ll be in love forever.” 

Junmyeon groans as his stomach aches with delight, and Sehun takes the opportunity to roll him onto his back once more, kissing him with a laugh along his tongue.  
  


⇾

They agree to keep things lowkey for the first couple months of the new channel’s inception. They don’t even advertise it on their main channels. That’s Sehun’s idea.

“People can be crazy, hyung,” Sehun says. “I don’t necessarily think it’s all their fault, with the way some people overshare, but—”

“Don’t let them off without taking responsibility,” Junmyeon says. “That one girl who wanted to take the cup that you had used.” He shivers. “Gross.” 

“Well, yeah,” Sehun says. “But for a while, it’s just for us, right?” 

“Yeah,” Junmyeon smiles, and he presses a kiss to Sehun’s lips. “Just for us.” 

“I’m buying us sweatshirts,” Sehun says, working an arm around Junmyeon’s waist. “Matching sweatshirts. You can’t stop me.” 

“I won’t try,” Junmyeon promises.  
  


⇾

**Author's Note:**

> remember when i said i was done for 2020? i lied! 
> 
> largely unedited bc i wanted to get this out before i lost interest kljfjldsk i hope you enjoyed anyway. i enjoyed writing it!!!! 
> 
> i hope you all have a wonderful 2021! stay safe and healthy, everyone!


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